Area consumer prices climb the most in 4 years

Updated 9:27 pm, Thursday, January 19, 2012

Consumer prices in the Houston area jumped 3.1 per-cent in 2011, the highest annual increase in four years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.

The bureau attributed the increase to rising energy and food prices.

Local gasoline prices spiked 10.7 percent between December 2010 and December 2011, according to the report. Consumers also spent more for electricity and natural gas in 2011, which pushed up overall energy costs 7.7 percent.

Prices at the grocery store increased 7 percent last year, the bureau reported. That's the biggest 12-month gain in nearly three years. The cost of going out to eat increased 2.4 percent.

During the past two months, a slide in gasoline prices has helped depress overall consumer prices by 0.5 percent. Gasoline prices fell 4.5 percent in November and December. Grocery prices logged a two-month increase of 0.5 percent.